Railroad track crib cleaning apparatus



Nov. 6, 1951 J. B MCWILLIAMS RAILROAD TRACK CRIB CLEANING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 20, 1948 INVENTOR W Emu/MW BY M, SWMAWW Nov. 6, 1951 .1. B. MCWILLIAMS RAILROAD TRACK CRIB CLEANING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jar 20, 1948 INVENTOR BY W 5m EM I'M/ Nov. 6, 1951 J. B. MCWILLIAMS RAILROAD TRACK CRIB CLEANING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 20, 1948 INVENTOR MM'H/IMMW BYM 61/ i/wmmfww Nov. 6, 1951 .1. B. MCWILLIAMS 2,574,118

RAILROAD TRACK CRIB CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1948 v s Sheets-Sheet 4 .:5 3/ JNVENTOR.

Nov. 6, 195] J. B. MGWILLIAMS RAILROAD TRACK CRIB CLEANING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 20, 1948 INVENTOR.

Tl i m Nov. 6, 1951 J. B. M WILLIAMS RAILROAD TRACK CRIB CLEANING APPARATUS s'sheets-sheet 6 Filed Jan.- 20, 1948 w 7 6 0 8 W 8 M 5 6 WV; 4 I \m m w 4 6 w s 9 8 Patented Nov. 6, 1951 "UNITED :rsTAT-Es 'iPA'TTENT RAILROAD CIIEKN TN G v APPARATUS James B. McWilliams, Pittsburgh; Pa.,-;assig-nor to Railway -Maintenance Corporation, ePittsburgh, Pa., acorporation of Pennsylvania *Appli'cationJanuary 20, 1948, Se'lialNm-35284 2 Claims.

This application relates to-apparatus which will clean railroad track ballast. 'It is particularly designed for cleaning ballast in the cribs-ofrailroad tracks; 1. e., in the spaces betweemthe ies.

My-apparatus removes all of the .-material from the cribs, including ballastand cinders, dirt, mud, etc.,-'whichhave accumulated in the ballast. his highly desirable to-removethe dirt cinders, etc, from the ballast inasmuch as they prevent proper drainage of the roadbed, but this is a diflicult operation totp'erform by machinery-because not only is the space between the ties rather narrow but'the track rails make access tothe space rather difficult My apparatus,- however, removes all the material from the crib, separates the undesired-material such as the dirt and cinders from the ballast, returns the ballast to the cribs and conveysthe dirt, cinders, etc. to--a position where they'may bedisposed of.

The apparatus described and .claimedin'this application is an improvement on apparatus which is disclosed I in my. prior Patents Nos. 2,132,176 and 2,358,657 as will hereinafter appear.

Generally speaking; a machine constructed-in accordance with my invention comprises a car having flanged wheels. so that it can run on-the railroad tracks whichare to be cleaned. The car carries material movingmeans or pusher arms which move in the crib-outside and under-the rails towards the center 'of the crib so as-to force material in the end portions of the-crib towards its center. The car'also has digging conveyors which remove material whichhas been pushed into thecentral portion by thepusher arms and which excavate the central-portion. The conveyors and rams are supported by a carriage which is movable vertically on the car so that the equipment can be moved from one crib to the next. The depth to whichmaterial is moved from the cribs can also be regulated.

Material in the buckets flows on to chutes which deliver it to a shaker screen'which separates the ballast from the dirt, cinders, etcfThe screen is vibrated so as to move the ballast onto an apron from which it is delivered by chutes back to the cribs. A hopper beneath thescreen catches the screenings. They are carried from the hopper by a screw conveyor to a belt conveyor which carries them to a suitable. position for disposal.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated a present preferred embodiment of my invention in which "Figure 1 is a side elevation of my apparatus;

Figure 2 is a plan elevation;

l 5 Figure 3 iis= a; section lions thesIinesZLIIIQIII of 'lii'gure '2 withtithe ti'e imfrontmf thei crib=.which is being cleaned iremoved.

Figure- :4' is a horizontal sectionealong the. lines av -weer. Figure- 3.

. Figure '5 is a isection along .ntherlines :V-slZ-zof Figure 1 with certain rportions z-rem'oved afor; purposessof i-llustration;

Figure 6 isa 'vertical :section through thelower end of Lthe bucketkconveyon and digging mechanism; the. .plane 'of thes section being indicated by the lines :NI-VI-in Figurezil;

-Figure s isravtragmentaryrend'view (viewing my apparatus F from the: planeindicated -lbyuzthe arrows VIII VIII in 'Eigure- 6) Figure 9 is a fragmentary end view lviewing my: apparatus-from 'thez plane indicated'loy the arrows IXIX inYFigure- G) Figure :10 is =adiagrammatic "showing of-rthe power r'system used 'for' driving :the various soperating'parts 'of my-a'apparatus;

Figure 11* is-a fragmentary wverti'calc-section along the -lines- =-XI;of'Figure :5;

Figure 12: is a -fragmentary planview showing a belt-conveyorused in my=-apparatus; and

. Figure 1-3 is--:an end-elevation of; the :structure shown in Figure 12.

--Ballast' cleaning; apparatus: constructed-in accordance with my invention? comprises a 'car =13 mounted on flanged wheels 4 -so that the car can run en rails i 5-ofa-railroad track. rThe rai ls are supported :by ties-l B in theeconventionalmane ner which form: cribs-holding-the ballast-to be cl an d.bywwm u -Thecar -carries"a framework l'lnwhich supports or on -which are -mounted the various operativeparts-of my; apparatus. =-A carriage designated generally by the reference -number=-l8; is carried-by-the caradjacentone end. T his -carriage supports digging conveyors- "l dandifl comprising buckets 1 carried on endless chainsnas well as pusher arms 2 l which' forcematerialirom the ends of 'the c'r i-bs 1 towards their. centers into the path of the digging conveyorsi The construction and operationlof the digging conveyors and pusherarms will be described-moreIin-detail hereafter.

fThe other end 'of the.car l3..carries.apower unit for "driving the various .operating parts Cof my apparatus. The. power equipmentdncludes agas or diesel en'ginei'l3a which drives a.,hydraulic/pump T31) which. 'suppliesi'fluidmnder pressuretoliu'id' motorsia'nd to various cylinders. Thesystem whereby-fluid is supplied under. pres 3 sure to the various parts of my apparatus and the manner in which this supply is controlled will be hereinafter described. The engine |3a also drives some operating parts through direct mechanical connections.

The carriage I8 may be moved vertically to lift the bucket conveyors and the pusher arms up out of a crib and down into another crib. The carriage l8 carries two pairs of collars 22 which are secured around two columns 23 and 24 mounted on the car l3 and make a sliding fit'therewith. A piston 25 operating in a cylinder 26 and positioned under a bracket 21b secured to a back cross-beam 21' on the carriage raises the entire carriage when fluid under pressure is supplied to the cylinder 26 through the pipe 250.

The columns 23 and 24 guide the vertical movement of the carriage I8. They in turn are braced by the framework I! as is shown in Figure 1.

The digging conveyors l9 and 20 discharge the material from the cribs onto chutes 3| from which it flows onto a screen 32. This screen is inclined and is also vibrated as willbe hereinafter described. B reason thereof, the ballast passes from the screen 32 onto an apron 33 forming part of the screen and is then directed by bailies 34 onto chutes 35 which distribute it to opposite ends of the cribs. Some of the ballast passes between the baflles and falls off the edge of the apron 33 into the central portion of the cribs. Dirt, cinders, and other screenings from the screen 32 fall through the screen into a hopper 33 which feeds the material into the lower end of a screw conveyor 31. The screw conveyor deposits the material onto a belt conveyor 38 which carries the material to a suitable position for disposal.

The carriage l8, the digging conveyors |9 and 20 and the pusher arms 2| are illustrated in detail in Figures 3 to 9, inclusive. The carriage comprises a framework having vertical channels 39 connected by front and back plates 40 and 4| and cross-beams 21 and 21', 42 and 42' and a top crossframe 43. Two digging conveyors are carried by the frame l8. Top sprocket wheels 44 for the chains of the conveyors rotate on axles 45 journaled on the top crossframe 43. Bottom sprockets 46 are journaled in blocks 41 which slide in vertical guides 48 welded to front and rear crossplates 40 and 4|.

Means are provided for taking up slack in the chains which is caused by wear. The means are shown in Figure 6 and comprise bolts 49 threaded into brackets 50'welded to the plates 40 and 4|. Turning the bolts 49 in the brackets 50 brings them against brackets We on the blocks 41 and forces the blocks 41 downwardly so as to tighten the chains. A lock nut holds the bolts 49 in a desired position.

As shown in Figure 3, the two digging conveyors rotate about their sprockets in opposite directions and the buckets are mounted on the conveyors in such manner that the buckets of one conveyor open into or feed the buckets of the other conveyor. Material in the track crib which is moved by a bucket of one conveyor but not picked up by that conveyor is moved into the path of the bucket in the other conveyor. The conveyors are driven by the gas or diesel engine |3a by means of chain drives 52 and 53, the chain drive 53 leading to a driveshaft 54 which is connected by a universal joint 55 to the shaft 56 on which the upper sprocket of the chain drive 53 is mounted. The driveshaft 54 is connected through a universal joint 51 to a shaft 58 journaled in the top frame 43. A pinion gear 52 secured to the shaft 58 meshes with a gear 63 mounted on the same shaft as the sprocket 44 for the conveyor 20. The gear 60 meshes with a gear 6| mounted on the same shaft as the sprocket 44 for the conveyor l9. An overload clutch 62 is provided between the shaft 56 and the upper sprocket of the chain drive 53 to prevent damage to the drive and the conveyors in the event they should jam in a track crib.

As before noted, the carriage I8 is movable vertically on the columns 23 and 24. To limit the depth to which the conveyors will move the material from the central portion of a crib the side channels 39 f the carriage carry adjustable stops 63 (Figure 3) which, when the carriage is lowered, abut against the track rails and thus limit downward movement of the carriage. The construction of the stops is shown more in detail in Figures 6, 7 and 8. Each stop 63 comprises a fiat plate 64 which is held to the channel 39 by bolts 65, which pass through a slot 66 in the plate so that the plate may be raised or lowered relative to the channel 33. The plate 64 carries two outwardly extending ribs 61, the lower portions of which increase in width and thickness at 68. A notch 69 i cut in the bottom of the edge rib 61, the width of this notch being sufiicient to engage the opposite top edges of the head of a track rail as shown in Figure 6. A second plate 10 is bolted to the'channel 39 above the plate 64, to hold the latter plate in the desired vertical position. The plate ID has a series of holes through which a stud I2 may be passed. The vertical position of the plate 10 and consequently of the plate 54 may thus be adjusted in relation to the carriage l8. Since the ribs 61 of the plate 64 engage the track rails, the depth to which the digging conveyors and the pusher arms remove material from the track cribs can be determined by selecting one of the several holes 1| in the plate 10.

My apparatus has two pusher arms 2| which are employed to move ballast from the ends of a crib towards its center and into the path of the digging conveyors. from a plate 13 having a peripheral flange I4 for strength and rigidity. The pusher arm at its upper end rotates about a pin 15 carried by the cross-beams 42 and 42. The lower end of the plate 13 carries an inwardly turned arm 130. on which is mounted a head 16 which as shown in Figure 9 will pass between adjacent ties and under the track rail. Each arm also carries a paddle or a flapper I1 which is hinged at one end just to the rear of the head 16. On the inward stroke of the pusher arm the paddle l'l rides on top of the ballast. On the outward stroke of the pusher arm, however, the paddle rotates until it abuts against the rear of the head 16 whereupon it will remove ballast from the extreme outer ends of a crib. The path of the free endof the paddle I1 is shown in chain lines in Figure 3.

As shown in detail in Figures 6 and 9, the length of the pusher arms 2| may be adjusted. The bottom inwardly turned arm 13a of the pusher arm is made separate from the plate 13 and secured to the plate by bolts 18. The plate has bolt slots IS-so that the arm can be raised and lowered relative to the plate and held in the desired position by tightening the bolts 18.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5, each pusher arm is rotated about a pin 15 by a piston 8|] operating in a cylinder 8|. Each piston is hinged to an ear 82 on each pusher arm and the opposite end of the cylinder 8| rotates about a pin 83 which Each pusher arm is formed mea re sis :car'ried by the cross-beams J2 'I and 221.. has shown in Figure5, fluid under pressure is supplied to ei therend of each icylinder :81 through the -pipe 84and flexible ho'se 84 to rotate theipu'slrer arms towards the'center-of the crib and through the pipe 85 and fleXib1eh0se 85" to iwithdrawhthe pus'her arms.

As shown in Figure 3. the carriage I 8- also car- *ries drop plates 7 89 I which rest on f the two ties forming "the crib from which ballast isbeing reanoved (seeaIso FiguresIB, 9-and11). 'I heiplates extend substantially from zrail to raileand serve to prevent material which is being pushed bythe pusher arms or-lifted byfthe buck'et conveyors from-spilling onto the 'tops fthe iti'es. IBOltsBT which "secure the plates -to i-thecarriage pas's through slots 88 in the.plates sorthat'withinalimits the plates will rest on the top of the ties-irrespective .of the depth to whichballast is removed from the crib. The bottom edgeiof eachplate carries :runners 89 which prevent thexplatesfrom drop- :pingdown between the ties in the event the ties -areunevenly spaced.

Arms 90 bolted to each side ofthe carriage as at 9I carry U-shaped plates 92. The legsyof each .plate rest outside the rails on the top surface of two adjacent ties which form the crib to be cleaned, the pusher arms passing between the legs (see Figure 7). Theiplates 92 thus perform the same function outside the rails'astheplates 86 between the rail and also prevent material from pilingzupon to the "rail base. Each arm 90 has a slot 93 which performs the same function as the slots 88 in theplatesBB.

As above noted, the digging conveyors I9 and 20 empty into chutes 3| which deliver the material to a screen 32. This screen is mounted for reciprocating motion'on rocker arms 94 and is rocked 'by an eccentric 95. The chain 'drive'52 drives a shaft 93 through a'clutch 9I. Thes'haft :96 turns a right angle drive "98 which in turn actuates the eccentric 95 by means of a.-chain drive 99.

As above noted, ballast passes from the screen onto an apron 33 where it isdirected'by the baffles 34 onto the chutes 35 or over the end of the apron into the cribs. Screenings pass into a hopper at which leads to a screw conveyor 31. This conveyor is driven by a chain drive I which in turn is driven by the right angle drive 98. The screw conveyor carries the screenings onto a belt conveyor 38 of conventional form through a chute 38'.

A bracket IOI extending down from the rear end of the car I3 carries the receiving end of the conveyor 38. Side plates I02 of the conveyor are journaled at the receiving end of the conveyor in a yoke I03, the yoke I03 rotating about a pin I04 carried by the bracket IOI. The discharge end of the conveyor can, therefore, be raised or lowered and the entire conveyor can be swung in a horizontal plane about the end of the car. Stays I05 secured to the top of the frame I! support the conveyor.

To hold the conveyor 38 at the desired angle to the track being cleaned a lever I06 fits into notches I01 cut in the edge of the bracket IOI, the lever I06 being resiliently held in the notches by a spring I08. A hand lever I09 at the end of the conveyor is connected t6 the lever I06 by a rod H0 and can be used to withdraw the lever I06 from the notches in the bracket IOI in order to swing the conveyor to a different position. A fluid motor II I carried on the conveyor drives the belt II2 of the conveyor through the chain drive 6 1m. hydraulic-'idrive permits the conveyor as be rotated 'in a horizontal-plane withoutqthe aise fof com'plicated gearing which would "otherwise be nec'ess'ary; if :adirect drive from the Diesel orgeis' engine I311 to the .beltrconveyor were used. The car ismoved' from one :crib to another by fifrlr5 ;through the chain "drive 'I It. 'The transmission isiconnected to the rear axle of the car ib'y --a4chain drive:IzII. n chain drive =1 I8 connects the' fr'ontaxl'e with the rear -axleso as to obtain a four-wheel drive.

Figure 1:10 shows diagrammatically the circuit whereby Ffluid' under. pressure is supplied to the various ioperating parts which are ractuated by fluid motors or hydraulic 'cylindersand the manin which thessupplyds controlled. The "en- ;gine. ll 3-a driiv'es a hydraulic pump 1 I 3b which-slipplies fluid under pressure through a closed-system formed by outgoing pipes H9 and return pipes if 2 wand including atank I2 I .flihermotor I II which drivesthe belt conveyor 38inuns1continuously. It-is therefore permanently connected-intoktheline I I9, the amount of fluid supplied-to the motor-bein controlled by'a valve 1:22.

r'Valves 423, I24 and operated by levers I-2374124 aa ndi I 25' control the-"flowof 'flui'd -to the cylinder 26 which raises the carriage "I8, to the motor I I4 which drlves'the ca'r wheels, and -toi the cylinders 8I which actuate the .pusher arms-2i, respectively. Valves I23, I24 and I25 are all-opencenter valves and permit a continuous flow of fluid throughthep'i'pes I I9 and I20 until they "are turned'toadmit fluid to the device .whose operation they control. When the valve --I:23 is' actuated to lift the carriage I8, the fluid flow'srthrough 'pipes 126, I21, through a check valve I'28'and thence to 'the cylinder 26 through a pipe I29. 'Fluid'also flows through a variable -valve:'I30 to'thercylinder 26. The carriage is elowered by reversing the valve I23, therate of descent being controlled by the valve I39. When the carriage descends, the check valve I28 is, of 'course, closed, the purpose of this valve being ztoiprovide an eiitra passageway for the flow of fluid into the cylinder 26 to raise the carriage more rapidly than if fluid flowed only through the valve I30. The operation of the four-way valve I24 which controls the motor II4 which drives the car wheels is conventional. The motor is reversible, the direction of rotation being determined by the direction in which the valve directs fluid to the motor. As shown in Figure 10, the supply of hydraulic fluid under pressure to both of the cylinders 8| which actuate the pusher arms 2I is controlled by one valve I25, a feature which has been found to be of considerable value in practice. If one pusher arm should be jammed against some obstruction in a crib such as an unusually large stone, all of the pressure will be directed to the cylinder which actuates the other pusher arm so that it will complete its stroke. All of the pressure will then be directed to the cylinder which actuates the track so that the digging conveyors and pusher arms are in line with a track crib. The depth to which it is desired to remove material from the crib is determined and the stops 63 are adjusted accordingly. The clutch 91 is thrown in,

to start the digging conveyors, the screw conveyors 31, and the eccentric 95 which rocks the screen 32. The carriage I8 is then lowered. As the carriage drops the digging conveyors excavate the central portion of the crib until the stops 63 strike the heads of the rails 15. The pusher arms 2| are then moved inwardly between ends of the crib from the position shown in chain lines in Figure 3 until the final position shown in solid lines in the same figure to push material from the ends of the crib into the path of the conveyors. Then the pusher arms 2| are swung outwardly. When the pusher arms have reached their extreme outward position the carriage I8 is lifted and fluid is supplied to the motor H4 to move the car forward until the conveyors and pusher arms are over the next crib. This process is repeated for the length of the track to be cleaned.

From the foregoing it will be appreciated that my apparatus provides a wholly mechanical method for cleaning ballast in railroad track cribs. It operates more rapidly and more satisfactorily than any machine intended for the same purpose with which I am familiar. It is carried entirely on the track which-is being cleaned. The pusher arms are relatively short in length so that when they are in the open position they do not project across and block adjacent tracks. In spite of the relatively short stroke the full length of the crib is cleaned because of the paddles TI. The guard plates 86 and 92 keep material off the tie tops so that all material is removed from the cribs.

Other features worthy of note are (1) the two digging conveyors l9 and 20 which are mounted and rotated so that the buckets on the conveyors feed into each other. Material loosened but not picked up by a bucket on one conveyor is nevertheless moved by that bucket into the path of the bucket on the other conveyor; and (2) the control of both pusher arms through a single valve, the advantages of which have been described above.

Relative vertical adjustment of the various digging elements is provided. First the depth to which the conveyors excavate the central portion of the crib is determined by the stops 63. Play in the chains of the digging conveyors which is created by wear can be taken up as it develops. This adjustment will increase the depth to which the bucket conveyors will excavate in the crib. However, the stops 63 can be reset to take care of this fact. The length of the pusher arms 2| can be varied so that the pusher arms can remove material from the ends of the cribs to the same depth as the material is removed from the center of the cribs or, within limits, to any depth desired.

While I have described a present preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for cleaning ballast in railroad track cribs comprising a support, means carried by the support for removing material from the crib, plates slidably mounted on the support for vertical movement, said plates extending vertically from the tops of the ties forming the cribs and susbtantially the full distance between the rails, said plates serving to prevent material being moved from the crib from spilling onto the ties.

2. Apparatus as described in claim 1 in which the plates extend on both sides of the rails for substantially the full lengths of the ties.

JAMES B. MCWILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 715,962 Bowker Dec. 16, 1902 1,021,463 Jackson Mar. 26, 1912 1,081,658 Broady Dec. 16, 1913 1,403,277 Wilder Jan. 10, 1922 2,209,732 Huey July 30, 1940 2,224,282 Weinschenk Dec. 10, 1940 

